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University of San Diego to Celebrate Completion of New Pedestrian Plaza

The University of San Diego will celebrate the completion of Paseo de Colachis, a beautiful new pedestrian plaza, on Tuesday, September 26, at 12:30 p.m. on the west end of campus.

Replacing an existing two-way street, “the plaza has already become an inviting and popular location for the USD community to study, socialize and play,” said USD President James T. Harris. “We are grateful for the generous gift from Kathryn S. Colachis that made this wonderful project possible.”

The 152,000-square-foot project includes three distinct areas, a central lawn, garden, and plaza. Led by the USD Facilities, Planning, Design and Construction team, Paseo de Colachis was designed by local landscape architect KTU+A and built by the construction firm Rudolph and Sletten.

Construction began in January and was completed prior to the fall semester earlier this month.

“Our partners did a fantastic job to make our vision for the entire project a reality,” said Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management Melissa Plaskonos. “In keeping with our USD 16th Century Spanish Renaissance design guidelines, the Paseo includes well-defined pedestrian areas, along with a gracefully placed fountain, patio, garden and study niches.”

Required access for service and emergency vehicles “were subtly incorporated” into the plaza design, she added. Convenient drop-off areas were included at the west and east ends of the Paseo de Colachis.

Other members of the USD project team include Planning Design and Construction Director Zack Knipe, Project Manager Brian Litchfield, and Executive Director of University Design and Collections Mary Whelan.

About the University of San Diego

The University of San Diego sets the standard for an engaged, contemporary Catholic university where innovative Changemakers confront humanity’s urgent challenges. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In February 2016, USD launched the public phase of
Leading Change: The Campaign for USD, which represents the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of the university and builds upon the strong philanthropic momentum achieved by USD in recent years. In September 2016, USD introduced
Envisioning 2024, a strategic plan that capitalizes on the university’s recent progress and aligns new strategic goals with current strengths to help shape a vision for the future as the university looks ahead to its 75th anniversary in the year 2024.